The 105th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry (also known as the "Wildcat Regiment") was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

which served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Among the regiment's early recruits was future

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

man Albert C. Thompson.

History

Organization and early battles

The 105th Pennsylvania Infantry was founded by Amor McKnight, a lawyer and resident of Brookville, Pennsylvania, who became one of the state's earliest responders to President Abraham Lincoln's call for volunteers to defend Washington, D.C. following the fall of Fort Sumter to Confederate States Army troops in mid-April 1861. After honorably completing his three months' service as captain of Company I with the 8th Pennsylvania Infantry and honorably mustering out on July 29, 1861, McKnight was then authorized by the state in early August to raise a new regiment. Recruiting for the 105th Pennsylvania then began and was completed that same month. Nicknamed the "Wildcat Regiment" in recognition of the unit's large membership from the Wildcat Congressional District in

Jefferson Jefferson may refer to: Names * Jefferson (surname) * Jefferson (given name) People * Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States * Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian foo ...

, the 105th Pennsylvania was also staffed by a large contingent of men from

Clarion County Clarion County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,241. Its county seat is Clarion. The county was formed on March 11, 1839, from parts of Venango and Armstrong counties. Clarion Cou ...

. Commissioned as a colonel, McKnight was placed in charge of the regiment after its men mustered in at

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

on September 9, 1861. Serving under him as field and staff officers were: W. W. Corbett, lieutenant colonel, and M. M. Dick, major. The regimental band was a 24-piece brass ensemble whose members ranged in age from 19 to 43. It was conducted and commanded by Calvin B. Clark. Ordered to support the defenses of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, the regiment was transported south that fall and initially pitched its tents at Camp Kalorama on the Kalorama Heights in Georgetown, District of Columbia before it was reassigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, III Corps and moved to Camp Jameson, which was located roughly a mile south of

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...

on the farm of Revolutionary War patriot

George Mason George Mason (October 7, 1792) was an American planter, politician, Founding Father, and delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, one of the three delegates present who refused to sign the Constitution. His writings, including ...

. Leaving camp on March 17, 1862, the regiment took part in the

siege of Yorktown The Siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown, the surrender at Yorktown, or the German battle (from the presence of Germans in all three armies), beginning on September 28, 1781, and ending on October 19, 1781, at Yorktown, Virgi ...

and the battles of Williamsburg and Fair Oaks. In the latter engagement, the troops fought like veterans, holding their position unsupported until nearly surrounded. Three companies were on special duty at the opening of the action and, being unable to reach the regiment in its exposed position, fought with the

57th Pennsylvania Infantry The 57th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 57th Pennsylvania Infantry was organized at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, beginning October 1861 and ...

. After a month spent on picket duty, the 105th was again in action at

Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''. It may refer to: Places Australia * Glendale, New South Wales ** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre *Glendale, Queensland, ...

and

Malvern Hill Malvern Hill stands on the north bank of the James River in Henrico County, Virginia, USA, about eighteen miles southeast of Richmond. On 1 July 1862, it was the scene of the Battle of Malvern Hill, one of the Seven Days Battles of the Americ ...

, and, by the time it reached Harrison's Landing, the ranks were so reduced by wounds and sickness that less than 100 men were fit for active duty. While posted along the railroad between Manassas and Warrenton Junction, companies B, G, and H were captured by the Confederates. The 1st and Hooker's divisions were engaged at Bristoe Station on August 29. The following day, the entire army was in action at

Second Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederat ...

, where once more, the gallant work of the 105th resulted in significant losses. The regiment was specially complimented by Maj. Gen.

Philip Kearny Philip Kearny Jr. (; June 1, 1815 – September 1, 1862) was a United States Army officer, notable for his leadership in the Mexican–American War and American Civil War. He was killed in action in the 1862 Battle of Chantilly. Early life and c ...

for its gallantry. September and October were spent in Washington. The command left the nation's capital on October 28 and, after some scouting near Leesburg, arrived at Falmouth on November 24. The 105th's next battle was at Fredericksburg, after which it spent the winter in camp near Brandy Station.

1863 and 1864 battles and campaigns

At the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

in May 1863, the troops were warmly engaged, and many won the Kearny Medal of Honor (the

Kearny Cross The Kearny Cross was a military decoration of the United States Army, which was first established in 1862 during the opening year of the American Civil War. The original decoration was known as the ''Kearny Medal'' and was adopted as an unofficial ...

). The first two weeks of June were spent at Banks Ford, and then the troops started northward. At the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

, the regiment lost many men, and, after the return to Virginia, engagements followed at Auburn, Kelly's Ford, and Locust Grove in the

Mine Run campaign The Battle of Mine Run, also known as Payne's Farm, or New Hope Church, or the Mine Run campaign (November 27 – December 2, 1863), was conducted in Orange County, Virginia, in the American Civil War. An unsuccessful attempt of the Union ...

late in November. At the end of that campaign, the regiment returned to the camp at Brandy Station for the winter, and, on December 28, 1863, nearly the entire regiment re-enlisted. The regiment fought at the battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania in May 1864, during which Capt. Alexander H. Mitchell, who had previously been awarded the Kearny Badge for his distinguished service at Chancellorsville, was wounded in action while capturing the enemy’s flag during a hand-to-hand encounter with the color-bearer of the 18th North Carolina Infantry, a second act of valor for which Mitchell would later be awarded the U.S. Medal of Honor. The regiment then moved to Petersburg with the army, where it took part in the operations of the

X Corps 10th Corps, Tenth Corps, or X Corps may refer to: France * 10th Army Corps (France) * X Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * X Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * ...

in August and the movements upon the

Wilmington and Weldon Railroad The Wilmington and Weldon Railroad (W&W) name began use in 1855, having been originally chartered as the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad in 1834. At the time of its completion in 1840, the line was the longest railroad in the world with of track ...

in October and December. On September 5, the remainder of the 63rd was added to the regiment.

The end of the war

On February 20, 1865, the 105th absorbed Company C of the 2nd United States Volunteer Sharpshooter Regiment, which was disbanded on that date, and in March 1865, about 300 recruits were received. At Sailor's Creek, the 105th was actively engaged, after which it returned to Alexandria. It participated in the

Grand Review of the Armies The Grand Review of the Armies was a military procession and celebration in the national capital city of Washington, D.C., on May 23–24, 1865, following the Union victory in the American Civil War (1861–1865). Elements of the Union Army in th ...

at Washington and was mustered out in that city on July 11, 1865.Scott, ''History of Jefferson County with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers''. Out of a total enrollment of 2,040, the regiment lost 309 men by death from wounds or disease, and 199 soldiers were reported as missing.

Senior officers

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

s **Amor A. McKnight **William W. Corbett **Calvin A. Craig **James Miller *

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

s **William W. Corbett **Calvin A. Craig **J. W. Greenawalt **L. B. Duff **Oliver C. Reddie *

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

s **Mungo M. Dick **J. W. Greenawalt **Levi B. Duff **John C. Conser **James Miller

Other notable members

* Alexander H. Mitchell (captain, company A): Recipient of the

and U.S. Medal of Honor * James George Mitchell (drummer boy and private, company A):

Pennsylvania State Senator The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered ever ...

, 1893-1900

References

External links

Original Photos
(105th Pennsylvania Infantry). 105th Pennsylvania Company E (reenactors' group), retrieved online September 22, 2018. *
Original Members of Wildcat Regimental Band
" (105th Pennsylvania Infantry). Wildcat Regiment Band (reenactors' group website). *

(reenactors' group profile with information regarding the band's history). Sharpsburg, Maryland: Sharpsburg Historical Society, retrieved online September 22, 2018.

Monuments and other memorials

File:PA 105th Wildcats Regiment Battle of Gettysburg Memorial.jpg, 105th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument, Gettysburg National Battlefield File:Battle of Gettysburg Pennsylvania Memorial.jpg, Pennsylvania State Memorial, Gettysburg National Battlefield File:PA 105th Wildcat Regiment Plaque on the Pennsylvania Monument in Gettysburg, PA.jpg, Wildcat Regiment Plaque, Pennsylvania State Memorial, Gettysburg National Battlefield Units and formations of the Union Army from Pennsylvania Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 1861 establishments in Pennsylvania